Key Documents

Wearing red OK as long as shirts have no political messages

Myrtle Grove Middle School eighth grader Matthew Ward hi-fives teachers greeting students before the start of school on Wednesday. Teachers can't wear red shirts with political messages such as "Red for Ed."

Published: Wednesday, November 13, 2013 at 12:01 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, November 13, 2013 at 5:05 p.m.

Teachers and principals in New Hanover County schools are being told they can’t wear T-shirts bearing political messages, one school board member said, and that includes the phrase “Red for Ed.”

Board members asked Deputy Superintendent Rick Holliday to “remind principals to remind teachers” that wearing clothing with a political message violates school board policy, said Jeannette Nichols, vice chairwoman of the New Hanover County Board of Education. Nichols is also chairwoman of the board’s policy committee.

The board discussed the matter during a closed-door session after its Nov. 5 meeting, district attorney Wayne Bullard confirmed. But the board called the closed session to discuss confidential personnel files, according to the state laws cited in its meeting notice.

Bullard defended using that exemption to the state open-meetings requirement, saying the discussion focused on “whether school system personnel were in compliance with the board’s policies regarding political activities on campus.”

Mike Tadych, a Raleigh attorney who serves as a media law consultant, disagreed.

“I think what they’re talking about is a general personnel policy matter, which must be discussed in open session,” he said. “They don’t get a free look-see without doing it in open session.”

A statewide “wear red for public ed” campaign began earlier this year after the N.C. General Assembly passed legislation making changes to public education, including removing teacher tenure, eliminating supplements for teachers with master’s degrees and creating tuition vouchers for students to attend private schools.

Teachers and people who support public education are encouraged to wear red clothing to show their support. Recently, some local teachers have made shirts with the words “Red for Ed” on them, and many teachers wore them during a Nov. 4 “walk-in” at the public schools. The day was meant to call attention to teachers’ frustration with the General Assembly’s policy changes. Several schools also held events or had teachers stand together in the mornings as students came to class.

But the school board felt this was a political event that violated school policy. Nichols said some teachers used school resources to distribute information about the walk-in events, which also violates policy. She said the board at its Nov. 5 meeting told Holliday to remind principals about the policies.

“Children are a captive audience,” she said. “You can’t go in – none of us can go in – and use them to explain our platform.”

Those policies prohibit school system employees from participating in “any political or campaign related activities” on school campuses or using any school-related channels to promote political activities.

During the walk-in, school system employees said they didn’t feel their motives were political.

“I don’t view that I’m doing anything political today,” said Karen Walker, a seventh-grade math teacher at Cedar Grove Middle School in Brunswick County. “This was just another awareness.”

But Republican lawmakers vehemently disagreed. Sen. Thom Goolsby, R-New Hanover, called the events a “Democratic political stunt of the worst kind.”

“Our schools are not the place for politics, and our children should not be pawns,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, a Republican.

Holliday sent two emails to school principals about the walk-in: one on Nov. 2, before the walk-in, and one on Nov. 6, after the board meeting. In both, he asked principals to remind their staff about the policies governing political activity.

“Please make sure your staff is not using the system’s email, websites or other channels of communication to promote a cause,” he wrote on Nov. 6. “As you are aware, there has been much in the media lately about how legislative activity this past session has impacted teachers. We all want to be supportive of our teachers, but we cannot legally promote a cause such as this through our channels of communication.”

No school system employees have been disciplined for wearing clothing with political messages or using school channels for a political cause, said district spokeswoman Valita Quattlebaum.

Nichols noted that many teachers may not have been aware of the policies and were “passionate” about the walk-in.

“They really weren’t trying to circumvent and break a policy,” she said. “We’re not supporting breaking board policies or the law, but we certainly do support the teachers in their endeavors.”

<p>Teachers and principals in New Hanover County schools are being told they can't wear T-shirts bearing political messages, one school board member said, and that includes the phrase “Red for Ed.”</p><p>Board members asked Deputy Superintendent Rick Holliday to “remind principals to remind teachers” that wearing clothing with a political message violates school board policy, said Jeannette Nichols, vice chairwoman of the New Hanover County Board of Education. Nichols is also chairwoman of the board's policy committee.</p><p>The board discussed the matter during a closed-door session after its Nov. 5 meeting, district attorney Wayne Bullard confirmed. But the board called the closed session to discuss confidential personnel files, according to the state laws cited in its meeting notice. </p><p>Bullard defended using that exemption to the state open-meetings requirement, saying the discussion focused on “whether school system personnel were in compliance with the board's policies regarding political activities on campus.” </p><p>Mike Tadych, a Raleigh attorney who serves as a media law consultant, disagreed.</p><p>“I think what they're talking about is a general personnel policy matter, which must be discussed in open session,” he said. “They don't get a free look-see without doing it in open session.”</p><p>A statewide “wear red for public ed” campaign began earlier this year after the N.C. General Assembly passed legislation making changes to public education, including removing teacher tenure, eliminating supplements for teachers with master's degrees and creating tuition vouchers for students to attend private schools. </p><p>Teachers and people who support public education are encouraged to wear red clothing to show their support. Recently, some local teachers have made shirts with the words “Red for Ed” on them, and many teachers wore them during a Nov. 4 “walk-in” at the public schools. The day was meant to call attention to teachers' frustration with the General Assembly's policy changes. Several schools also held events or had teachers stand together in the mornings as students came to class.</p><p>But the school board felt this was a political event that violated school policy. Nichols said some teachers used school resources to distribute information about the walk-in events, which also violates policy. She said the board at its Nov. 5 meeting told Holliday to remind principals about the policies.</p><p>“Children are a captive audience,” she said. “You can't go in – none of us can go in – and use them to explain our platform.”</p><p>Those policies prohibit school system employees from participating in “any political or campaign related activities” on school campuses or using any school-related channels to promote political activities.</p><p>During the walk-in, school system employees said they didn't feel their motives were political.</p><p>“I don't view that I'm doing anything political today,” said Karen Walker, a seventh-grade math teacher at Cedar Grove Middle School in Brunswick County. “This was just another awareness.”</p><p>But Republican lawmakers vehemently disagreed. Sen. Thom Goolsby, R-New Hanover, called the events a “Democratic political stunt of the worst kind.” </p><p>“Our schools are not the place for politics, and our children should not be pawns,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, a Republican. </p><p>Holliday sent two emails to school principals about the walk-in: one on Nov. 2, before the walk-in, and one on Nov. 6, after the board meeting. In both, he asked principals to remind their staff about the policies governing political activity.</p><p>“Please make sure your staff is not using the system's email, websites or other channels of communication to promote a cause,” he wrote on Nov. 6. “As you are aware, there has been much in the media lately about how legislative activity this past session has impacted teachers. We all want to be supportive of our teachers, but we cannot legally promote a cause such as this through our channels of communication.”</p><p>No school system employees have been disciplined for wearing clothing with political messages or using school channels for a political cause, said district spokeswoman Valita Quattlebaum.</p><p>Nichols noted that many teachers may not have been aware of the policies and were “passionate” about the walk-in.</p><p>“They really weren't trying to circumvent and break a policy,” she said. “We're not supporting breaking board policies or the law, but we certainly do support the teachers in their endeavors.”</p><p>Pressley Baird: 343-2328</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @PressleyBaird</p>